The Symmetry of Victory
by KatInColor
Summary: Finn, Rachel and why loosing sometimes feels better than winning./ Oneshot/ Finn-Rachel; slight Finn-Quinn


Title: Photo proofed kisses last longer

Summary: Finn , Rachel and why losing sometimes feels better then winning.

Rating: T

Pairing: Rachel / Finn

Setting: pre show to season 2 finale

Warnings: NoneNoneNone

Type: Oneshot

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or it's characters. Also I don't earn money with this. Just playing a little.**

**A/N: So guys, this is my first Glee-piece so please be indulgent me. Positive response and constructive criticism are welcome, Flmaes aren't. Anyways, hope you enjoy it. :)**

.I.

Rachel Berry learns soon, that winning's like oxygen to her, a lifeline of sorts, something she needs to make it through the day. When Rachel's eight years old she's already busier than most of her class mates. Ballet at half past ten, tap dancing straight after lunch, Jazz dancing at half past two and singing lessons in the evenings- and that's only for the Mondays. Just to clarify that: She does not do this, because she has to or someone makes her do it, she does it, because her earliest childhood memory is about cold winter afternoons spent in the kitchen watching one of her dads cook punch, while singing along to an assorted mix of Barbra's best. Ever since that moment she wished that people would sing along to her bests. When eight year old Rachel closes her eyes to sleep, she dreams of a little family sitting in a tiny old kitchen and just being happy, she's always the one singing in the background. Rachel Berry wins her first tap dancing competition the day she turns nine years old. Her daddy loops her up in his arms and carries her to the car, because it's already nine and god tap dancing makes her tired. Both her daddies tell her how proud they are a week after that. For the first time it strikes her like lightning: That's what she wants, it's not winning. She wants people to be proud; she wants everybody to know her name.

1.

Finn Hudson never really cared about winning. Sure, all those goblets and medals were fancy,but after a time they all end up dusty, so he never really digs for that stuff. When Finn Hudson attends elementary-school, he learns that winning doesn't always mean getting fancy stuff and he meets his very first friend .His name is Noah Puckerman, but he prefers being called Puck, which Finn finds utterly strange, `cause that's just… not his name. Puck is a lot more confident then Finn, he talks back, he makes jokes Finn doesn't understand yet and he…he uses _words_, y'know? Words, his mum scolds him for asking what they actually mean, his mum also says that Puck isn't really a good first friend, but Finn, with his full six years, thinks he's cool, so they stay friends. Sure they have some trouble now and then, for example when Puck decides in fifth grade that going to school on Fridays totally sucks and convinces Finn to skip. Well, when you're elven you think doing something like that, is like the most daring thing in the world, so when they stray towards the mall they feel like kings. Like they could own the world with just one word. Well, sure thing, reality owns them faster, when his mum spots them just twenty minutes after they left school. She brings them back to school, rants the whole drive and when Finn returns home, head ducked, and his mom is so pissed she doesn't even buy him the new issue of Spiderman. (Sure enough, he finds it on his pillow the next day, after he returns from soccer practice). He swears to himself, he'll never-ever talk to Puck again, but he soon finds out that this promise can't be hold. So he's still friends with him, even though he sometimes asks himself if Puck's totally lost by his senses.

So in elementary-school Finn Hudson wins the ken that friendship goes beyond Spiderman comics and ranting mothers.

II.

Singing is what twelve year old Rachel loves doing. Don't get her wrong she does like tap dancing and stuff, but in reality Rachel just knows she's born to be a singer. She's born for the spotlight seeking her, for the pretty dresses and the tragedies and the howling crowd. She sings in every thinkable situation: When she's doing homework, while having a shower, after and of course before every meal, and when she sings, she does it loud until their neighbours have to come over and her daddies tell her to rather go practice her dance moves; but every time before they send her dancing, one of them ruffles her hair and tell her she's got the talent from her mom, something Rachel doesn't understand yet. Her dads take her to her first singing contest, it's one of those evenings in summer when there's nothing to do, but work on her acceptance speeches. It's nothing really big, just a kid's talent show in a school a few miles away, still she does great. She sings a song she's too young to understand and leaves everybody in the hall paralyzed. It wasn't really a surprise she wins, but she still cries when the host calls her name and she also forgets her long practised acceptance speeches.

2.

In Junior-High, just after Finn turns fourteen, he meets Quinn Fabray. `Till then Finn never really cared for girls, he didn't understand why everybody in the world seemed to find them oh-so important. Especially Quinn. Everybody, or better said every boy in the whole vintage seems to be fallen for her. Even oh-so tough Puck seems to be totally wooed and Puck had girlfriends before, Finn surely didn't know what exactly he did with them, and he clearly didn't _want_ to know it, but still, he had girlfriends. To Puck's and everybody others' grime, Quinn chooses _him_. Finn Hudson, who never had a girlfriend, who never even had a proper talk with a girl. Finn doesn't get it. Finn, along with all the others just totally doesn't get why. When Quinn asks him to ask her out, which is confusing enough, he doesn't know what that means, so he bluntly asks her. She looks confused at first, but then her pretty, pink lips twitch into a strange, knowing and kinda…snooty smile. He doesn't like it very much. She than pats his shoulder, which he likes even less, and tells him how cute he is and that he's supposed to buy her dinner and cinema tickets on Saturday. With that she winks at him for one last time and stalks off. Then he realises it. He has a date. It took him a little to understand, but know he's got it. Finn Hudson got his very first date, without even asking for it.

They go and see a Disney movie, which Quinn isn't lazy to remark _five_ full times, she found was totally lame. Finn though found it pretty cool, the next part of this whole date thing gets a little awkward, `cause he's supposed to walk her home, or at least she told him that, and they need _full thirty-five_ minutes from the theatre to her place. Full thirty-five minutes filled with awkward silence and Quinn telling him constantly how lame the film was. When they finally arrive, he asks her. He just has to. Quinn looks at him dumbly, and starts giggling hysterically. Finn feels kinda offended `cause he can't find why's that funny. When she finally calms a little, she gives him the same smile like she did in school and then tells him, she asked him out because "there was something about him". Whatever that means. What follows are a few very _very_ long moments of uncomfortable silence, in which Quinn blinks up at him like she has something in her eyes. He's just about to ask her about it, as she leans up and kisses him square on the mouth. It's faster over than it started and to his own surprise, he feels just the same. It wasn't magic or life changing or anything like that. In fact it was just odd. Well, long story short disguise, after two weeks of holding his hand in the hallway, Quinn gets bored and moves on to some guy called Matt.

So Finn Hudson wins two firsts: His first kiss and his first heartbreak.

.III.

Rachel Berrys third big win isn't a win in the most obvious way. She doesn't get a trophy, people aren't cheering and she didn't even do anything special, but being herself and doing what she loves, what she was born for. When Rachel Berry auditions for McKinley High's New Directions she sings a piece from Les Miserable. When Rachel Berry auditions for Glee Club, she does not only sing her song, she feels it. Of course she feels every song she sings, but it's something special with this one. For Rachel Glee Club is not only a way of passing time or finding friends. It's salvation, a wake up or simply the starting shot for her life to finally begin. She knows that everything starts off small, and she's sure, that Glee will lead her straight to stage and stage of course will lead her straight to talent scouts and at the end of her way she plans on having her name fixed in shiny lights right on the Time square and Madison Square Garden, her picture in every big magazine, her voice in each and every single mall in the USA and maybe Europe too. Of course Glee's not only a way of becoming famous and being a star, Glee helps her be part of something, not that she aims for that, but it's a welcome side effect, so what she really wins with Glee are friends. Friends who don't know, that they're her friends yet, but she's sure that things will work out just fine. She could do without friend until now so waiting just a little more doesn't really bother her anyways. Just about now nobody really cares whether she's there or not….well there's someone. Finn cares or at least pretends to, Rachel hasn't figured that out yet. She also isn't sure what to think about him, she likes him. Well, what wouldn't you like about him? So she likes him, like really, like much, but she's not sure how he means it or what he feels at all, hell she's not even sure what she feels. She's also not sure how or if a possible relationship might be influencing her dear career. So with Glee Club Rachel Berry wins a bunch of not quite friends, her very first crush and the one thing that matters: McKinley High finally knows who Rachel Berry is.

3.

So being part of the McKinley Glee Club isn't the coolest thing in the world. He gets that. He totally gets that. No need to remind him by greeting him with a slushie _straight in the face_, each and every morning. At first he understands them, the football team and the Cheerios, since he used to make fun out of some, well let's face it, out of all Glee kids too. After a time tough, he starts to realize, that they aren't as weird as he thought, even though Quinn keeps reminding him how Glee Club consists out of nothing but freaks and losers ( Funny thing, she joins just weeks after him) and the biggest one is Rachel Berry. So when Finn meets Rachel in his very first Glee rehearsal, he's cautious, at first but when she opens her mouth to sing that song from Greasy Dancing, or however that flick is called, he's stunned. He's never heard anyone sing like that, not even the singers on the radio. After his initial surprise comes wonder. With that voice she should be the ruler of this whole cow town; still she's the one everybody picks on. That's just not fair. His estimation only proofs right, when he becomes more familiar with her. Sure, she's all kinds of crazy, like she's taking dance classes after Glee Club, which is in the _evening_, and she really is pretty bossy but nobody would be doing anything if she wouldn't be bossing them around. But if anyone needs something she's the first to help. Still, even the Glee kids treat her like she's not worth a penny. That pisses him, okay? It really, really gets him. He knows it shouldn't but it still does. He feels sorry for her, 'cause in the end all she does, no matter if meant to be nice or not comes straight back to bite her heels.

Besides he thinks he finally got what Quinn told him. Remember, two years ago on her doorstep? He finally gets the meaning of it. 'Cause there's definitely something about Rachel Berry. Something about the way she beams up at him when he offers to drive her home after Glee or how she bites down on her bottom lip and nods eagerly, when she gives him vocal lessons during lunch time or between school and football practice and he hits the right notes, something that makes his spine tingle and his insides swoop in the most delicious ways.

So who was he to say no, when she asks him to kiss her that day in the auditorium? He knows it's wrong, but he's not stupid enough to think he could help it. He's mom told him about that stuff, y'know?

With Glee Finn Hudson wins a bunch people, he never excepted to call his friends and the knowledge of one Miss Rachel Berry.

.IV.

Sectionals 2010 are Rachel's first big shot at fame. She takes a deep breath listen to the beginning of her song, the start of her big chance. She closes her eyes and than everything is easy. She belts 'Don't rain on my parade" out as if she'd never done anything else. The crowd is cheering; she strikes every single note like she's never managed before. Right now she does not only sing Barbra, she is Barbra. Of course they win and of course Rachel's not shocked when they do, still she can't stop jumping and laughing and squealing. Winning something is not new to her, but that night Rachel Berry learns that winning is even better if you got people to share your victory with. She thinks it might be the most important lesson she's ever learnt.

4.

It's official. Quinn's baby isn't his, that's the first thing Rachel tells him hesitantly after the last Glee practice before Sectionals, but the story gets even better when, when she gets the rest out in a rush. _Puckisthefather_. He hopes he got it wrong, the blood boiling, throbbing in his ears, so he chokes out a strangled "what". It's weird how she already knows him that good, 'cause she doesn't repeat anything, she just puts a tiny hand to his shoulder and says she's _so_ sorry. He doesn't hear her at that point 'cause all he can think of is wiping that smug grin out of Puck's face, when he sees him standing in the doorframe of the choir room, so he doesn't hear her either when she tells him to calm, while she holds onto his forearm. He looks down at her for just the fraction of a second, seeing the pleading in her eyes and then, just for a tiny moment, he feels a little better, everything except the warm chocolate colour of her eyes, gone. For an even tinier moment an idea crosses his mind, what if he'd just break up with Quinn, never talk to Puck again and forget devastating his face? Instead he could ask _her_ out. Rachel. Why not start dating her? That thought goes faster than it came, as Quinn walks by and makes some snide remark about him betraying her in public while she's pregnant with his baby. Rachel immediately lets go of his arm and the anger returns. He pushes past a confused looking Quinn and Mr Schue who frowns at him, while talking with Miss Pillsbury.

So, punching Puck definitely isn't the most mature solution, but it helps. At least for now. Well anyways, its soothing effect vanishes during winter break, when realization hits him straight in guts. His girlfriend cheated on him. With Puck. With Noah freakin' Puckerman, he knew since elementary-school. He's pissed. And sad. Hard to say what's worse. Finn never was good dealing with problems all by himself, so he calls Rachel, 'cause his Mom has enough other stuff to deal with, and Rachel was the only one who was brave enough to tell him the truth. Rachel turns out to be a great listener, she spends hours sitting in his desk chair and listen to his rants about how freakin' pissed he is, while he throws several things against the wall (he really regrets doing that around her, at least as his mobile shatters into thousand pieces) or she sits on his bed and runs her fingertips comfortingly trough his hair, murmuring soft words to him, while he sobs pathetically into her shoulder. After some time he starts feeling relieved, not that he's okay or something, but at least the whole baby-drama is over for him. He almost starts feeling sorry for Puck. Almost.

So this time Finn Hudson wins truth.

It's somewhere in the middle of July, New Directions didn't even rank at Nationals, which should seem like the biggest defeat in the short life of Rachel Berry, but somehow she can't bring herself to care. Right now she's lying in the lawn chair in the backyard of her dad's garden, pages full of lyrics and notes and statistics lying scattered all around her, but she's staring at a tiny crumbled piece of paper. It's an article from a newspaper with a picture next to it, neatly cut out a few weeks ago. It's nothing special really, just a little paragraph about Nationals in New York and just a few small lines, about their performance and a tintintiny picture showing her and Finn kissing after "Pretending". She doesn't even remember the caption, but she's sure it's any kind of a snide remark; blaming them for New Directions loss. She decides to let them talk and write whatever they want; Rachel Berry doesn't care about other people.

"What ya readin'?", Finn places her glass of lemonade in the grass next to where she's seated and hunches down to read the text over her shoulder, she can feel his breath tickle her ear, it makes her giggle. "Nothing really", she chirps and stuffs the piece of paper back into the pocket of her pink and purple checked short sleeved blazer and grabs one of the lyric sheets from the ground. "And besides it doesn't matter really since we really need to practice.", she explains, deadly serious and jumps off her chair, already making her way into the house. He just pauses, folds his arms in front of his chest and watches her go. She stops halfway puts her right hand on her hip and looks over her shoulder, expectantly raising eyebrow. "Come on, Finn, time's a wasting." He shakes his head and follows. This evening they sing 'Don't stop believing' until they can't hear it anymore.

So, was kissing Rachel right after singing "Pretending" in front of a whole lot of people and TV-cameras a good idea? Probably not.

Would he do it again? You can bet your life on that.

Especially now, with him sitting on her porch in her favourite lawn chair, Rachel comfortably seated between his legs, her back leaning against his chest, his arms loosely draped around her middle, his mistakes never seemed that right.

"Finn? Can we talk?" She says her voice soft, as she puts her hands over his, resting on her belly.

"Mhm." He pushes a strand of hair behind her ear and nuzzles the skin there. She giggles melodically, her thumbs rubbing fuzzy patterns to his knuckles.

"Finn." She repeats, as she's done giggling, without a question sign, this time

He doesn't even bother to answer; instead he presses his lips to her shoulder blade.

"Finn, stop that, I'm serious." She scolds him.

He opens his eyes unwillingly, to see that she's facing him, wearing an expression he doesn't like at all.

"What's the matter? I'd do something wrong?" he asks alerted, straightening his posture

"Oh, don't be silly, I just wanted to know if you were happy, Finn?" He stares at her in utter disbelief. Did she just really ask that?

"Uhm, sure, I mean, I love you, and now I've got you, so why wouldn't I be? Oh wait, hold on a second, does that mean…are you unhappy, Rach?" He frowns, hoping desperately she'd say no.

She looks at him for what seems like eternity, but then she bites her bottom lip, and shakes her head. He releases a breath he hadn't known he was holding, reaching out to cup her chin to tilt it up so he could kiss her.

"Just a second." She whispers as she's close enough for him to feel her hot breath wash over his lips, as she talks. He barely nods his gaze flickering between her eyes and her slightly parted lips, as he feels her hands coming to rest on his forearms. _That was a second, right?_ The moment he leans in to close the last remaining space between them, she pinches him. _Hard_.

He jerks back, his head hitting the wooden headrest of the lawn chair. She's kneeling, face turned towards him, and to his grime she's giggling uncontrollably, clapping her hands together, and shaking her hair out of her face.

"What was that for?" He asks sitting up and rubbing the back of his head

"I'm so…so…sorry, but…oh excuse me..I just can't..." She gasps out between laughter

"At least someone thinks it's funny." He grumbles, dropping back into the chair

"Oh, I'm sorry. So, so sorry." she coos, while she leans forward to pepper his face with kisses

"Come on, don't ya fool me. What did I do to deserve that anyways?"

She immediately sits up again.

"You're going to laugh at me." She pouts a little, fiddling with a piece of grass

"Hey, look at me." He gasps her chin again, running his thumb over her bottom lip

"You'll find it corny or foolish or something." She avoids his gaze

"I swear, I won't laugh. No matter what."

"No matter what?"

He nods, frowning.

"I just..I don't know…I kinda just wanted to check if I was dreaming." She mumbles, her cheeks growing pink immediately

He blinks a few times, trying to make sense of what she just told him.

"Wait, wouldn't that make more sense if you'd pinch yourself?" he asks slowly

"Yeah, but that wouldn't have been as painless." She replies airy

"So instead you rather hurt me. Thanks for that." He says, frowning again

"Well, now I've got my proof, so that won't happen again." She says leaning in, her eyes flickering closed as she waits for him to close the distance.

"You know, you can kiss me if you want to." She sounds impatient, but the clear teasing in her tone makes him smirk.

"Yeah, I know, but you're not going to pinch me this time, right?" he asks, his tone slightly wary

She starts laughing, leans forward and presses her lips to his. He falls back, bringing her with him, his hands resting on her waste.

"That's the last one, right? The last summer without college-stuff bothering us? It's the end, right?" he asks, a little wistfully against her lips

He feels her shake her head and his eyes flutter open, only to find her gaze boring into his.

"No, Finn. This summer isn't the end. It's the start." She says, her tone hopeful and awestruck, as she traces his face with her fingertips.

Well, if she's there, waiting with him for the starting shot, he can't wait to see what comes next.

New Directions may have lost that night in New York, but Finn Hudson sure as hell didn't. This time Finn Hudson won love.

Nice? Sappy? Or just bad?

So, If you wanna make me happy, let me know , press the button down there and type me some words. ;)


End file.
